It's well-known rock & roll lore that Primus main man Les Claypool — who was high school friends with Kirk Hammett — auditioned to play bass in Metallica after the death of Cliff Burton. Claypool has since said many times that it was a poor fit and he knew he wouldn't be getting the job.
That said, the bass maestro has sometimes given fans a taste of what might have been by covering the opening of Metallica's "Master of Puppies" live as a bridge before the final verse of Primus original "Too Many Puppies." One such occasion was on February 26th, 1992, in Jacksonville, Florida. The thrash classic's iconic riffery sounds amazing played by Claypool on his bass, and we can't help but think that the famously witty and mischievous virtuoso was very aware of the obvious pun created by interpolating the two songs: "Master of Puppies."
Watch above — the Metallica quote kicks in around the 1:50 mark — and below see Claypool recounting the surreal origin story of his band. You can also check out Primus' more famous rendition of the opening to "Master of Puppets," from their performance at Woodstock '94.
